Vending machine



Nov. 15, 192 7.

G. N. POLING ET AL VENDING MACHINE inal Filed June 11, 1923 3 Sheets-sh t 1 Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,365

G. N. POLING ET AL VENDING MACHINE Original Filed June 11, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 55* gmwmtozd 5'- /V. P01. //V6' Wane-so 50 i3 ML. D/LLON Nov. 15, 1927.

G. N. POLING ET AL VENDING MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet 3 Original Filed June 11, 1923 Patented Nov. 15, 1927,

UNITED STATES" GEORGE N. BOILING, OI SPRINGFIELD, m HARRY L. DILLOII a, one.

VENDING. MACHINE.

Application fled June '11, 1928,

those intended for dispensing newspapers and magazines, the object being to provide a nerally simplifiedand improvedmachine w i'ch will be reliable inaoperationand cane not become jammed as often results with similar machines heretofore devised.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in-the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed,the description being supplemented by the accompanying I p L lower-r1) t9 supp rting "fingers 8 which are drawings. I a I t Figure 1 is a frontelevation'partlybroken away and in. vertical section. 7

F1gure2 is a vertical sectional substantially on line oi: Fig.- 1' Figure 3 IS a horizontal sectiona line 3-3 of Fig.1.1 j j Figure 4 is a view-,si flar-to'appo, Fig. 1 'but showing a-difierentvpositwn' parts. Fi re 5 is a detail verticalisection showing the mannerlin whichi late the entire mechanism, is released b I of a coin. y

Figure 6 is ahorizontalsectionalview on line6-6of Fig. 4.. a

Figure 7 is a similar view on line 7-7-of Fig. 1.

igure 8 on line 8-8 of Fig. 5 showing the manner in which descent of the coin is arrested by a check to hold'the latch in released position. I Figure 9 is a duplicate of Fig. 8ljwi'th the exception that it illustrates the coin-released.

by the check. 7

In the drawings above briefly the numeral 1 designates an appropriate case,

'ing within which a suitable vertical 'magas zine 2 is provided, said casingbeing provided with a normally locked cover 3 which maybe swung upwardly however to fill thefmaga-f zine. This magazine is adapted to receive a. stack of rectangular plates 4 which support the newspapers or said plates having appropriate ribs v6 for spacing them apart sufliciently to cooperate properly with escapement mechanisms which are used for dropping the plates and the articles supported thereby, one at a time, permitting the articles to be removed through an appro riate opening (not shown) in the front 0 the casing, after which .the

plates are dropped into an appropriate re- -spaced=.sligh is a detail. vertical sectional-view" the like 5 to-be vended,f

Serial in. 044,752. as April as, 1021.

ceivingcidra'wer or other container 7 in the lower portion of the casing 1.

An upper'es'capement mechanism is pro vided to normally support thestack of plates 4 as seen mFig. 4 and to release them one at a time,permitt1ng themto d rop onto a lower escapement mechanism. At the same time the lower mechanism catches a plate dropped by the upper mechanism, it releases a previously caught plateand permits the latter to drop into the drawer 7.

The 11 per escapeinentmechanism. includes normallyprofited as disclosed in Fig. 4, 7 1n sai'd fing'ers ing' referably dispose .-1; P rs; t" e s t S of the-magazine 1 'lhe-fingers 8 are'inormallyprojected to sup- I the. stack oijp'lates asseen in Fig. 4 and addit onal 'finlgers'il'whose effective ends are I t y .-above the. fingers am norm '11 retracted asjshown in thelsame figure, but-provision. ismade for. simultaneously reactinggtheglower fingers 8 torelea'se the its tense-Proje t e upper gers 9 to temporar ly support. 1 the stack lcfplatesi; In thepreferred for'm of construetion, a ir of rockablef 'actuators'IO, in the form 0 .rock'shaftsare mounted horizontal- I 1y between the magazine 2 and the casing 1,

; saidshafts havingupwardlyl extending. crank arms 11'. pivoted to the fingersS at one sideof the-t'jmachine and 'tojthe fingers 9 at the other-side thereof, and downwardly projecting --ar ms l2"similarly"connected to the fingers'j9iatione' s deof the machine and to the fingers Bat the other side, the fingers 8 and 9-f bei'ng-crossed, at one side of the machine/11in appropriatehand crank 13 extends =frcm one-of the rock shafts .9 and passes through; an 'arcuate, slot 14 in the front of the casing 1 for the ipurposeof turning said rock shaft, and means are provided to connect the' twoqshafts, to produce simultaneous' operationlt'hereof, "This connecting means preferably. 'consistsof a single link .15; whose ends are pivoted to crank arms 16 on the rock shaft-s10. I i

The lower escape'ment mechanism includes stationary checks 'o'rfingers ,17 atone side of the magazine -2.--a nd .upper and lower fingers 18 and 19 atthe other side of'said magazine, the fingers 19 being normally project'ed as seen in Fig. 4 toco-operate withthe fingers 173%in' supporting 'a previously dropped plate 4, while the fingers; 18 are 1 retracted as shown in the same view. Simultaneously with the dropping of another late by the upper escapement mechanism owever, the fin rs 18 project as seen in Fi 1 and the fingers 19 retract as shown in ig. 1, thus simultaneously receiving the descending late and the paper or the like supported t ereby and dropping the previously caught plate into the drawer 7.

We prefer to mount the fingers 18 and 19 in the same manner as the fingers 8 and 9 above described, being pivoted to crank arms 20 which extend oppositely from a rock shaft or other rockable actuator 21 disposed below one shaft 10. This last named shaft and the shaft 21 are connected for operation in unison and in so connecting them we prefer to provide laterally extending crank arms 22 thereon, which are connected by a vertical link 23.

A suitable sprin or the like 24 is provided to return al parts to normal after operation and we have shown the same connected with the lower end of a crank arm 25 depending from the shaft 21, although it might well connect with any other movable part.

While the operaaon of the parts so far described will prol. ably be understood from the foregoing, it may be well to briefly define such operation. To this end, let it be understood that Fig. 4 shows the normal position of parts with the stack of plates 4 and apers or magazines supported on the normally projected fingers 8 and We will assume that a plate 4 from which a magazine has been removed is then supported upon the fingers 17 and 19 as also shown in Fig. 4. After proper release of a locking means yet to be described, the handle or crank 13is moved from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that disclosed in Fig. 1. In so doing, the plate 4 at the bottom of the stack, is released by retraction of the fingers 8 but theremainder of the stack is temporarily held by projection of the fingers 9 as shown in Fi 1. The released plate is caught by the fingers 18 which have been projected simultaneously with projection of the above named fingers 9, this being also shown in Fig. 1. Simultaneously with projection of the fingers 18, the fingers 19 are retracted, so "that the plate 4 previously held by said fingers 19 and the co-operating fingers 17, is dropped into the drawer or the like 7. When the handle 13 is now released, the spring 24 returns all parts to their initial positions so that the relation existing in Fig. 4 again takes place, the paper or magazine being now accessible for removal from the machine.

While it will be understood that any'desired coin-controlled mechanism may be used to prevent operation of the machine until a. proper coin is inserted, we prefer to provide the construction shown and described, this holding means being in the resent instance associated with the ban crank or handle 13, although it might well co-operate with some other movable part.

A pivoted gravity-applied latch 30 is provided to engage the outwardly extending portion of the hand crank 13 as shown in Fig. 4, said latch having a releasing portion 31 extending through slots in opposite sides of a vertical coin chute 32. The latch may be releasable with one coin only or may require that several coins shall be inserted one after the other, according to the price of the paper, magazine or the like. To temporarily hold the coin" pr coins 33 in the position shown in Fig. 5 thereby holding the latch 30 in a released position until the handle 13 can be operated, we provide a coin check 34 which is preferably of the form shown most clearl in Figs. 6 to 9. From these views, it wil be seen that-the check 34 is of arched form, with one of its legs turned laterally outward as indicated at 35 for passage through any of the openings 35 in the chute 32, according to the number of coins necessary to operate the machine. The other leg of the check 34 is held by a set screw 36 in a suitable eye 36 on one end of a horizontally movable check-releasing lever 37. This lever is normally held in the position of Fig. 6 by the handle 13 but is provided with a cam 37 disposed in the path of said handle, so that movement of the latter from the position of Fig. 4 to that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 5,

will move the lever 37 to the position disclosed in Fig. 7, thereby moving the check 34 to the position of Fig. 9 and releasing the coin or coins 33. When the handle 13 returns to its normal position, the latch 30 is self-applied to again hold said handle and the lever 37 is rocked by the handle to again project the part 35 of the check 34, into the coin chute 32, as disclosed in Fig. 8. Thus, the entire machine is ready for the next operation.

By providing the construction shown and described, or a substantial equivalent thereof, a machine is provided which is comparatively simple and inexpensive, yet will be highly efficient and reliable and cannot become jammed, which is the great objection to similar machines heretofore devised.

As excellent results are obtainable from the details disclosed, they may be followed if desired, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

We claim:

1. A vending machine comprising a magazine for a stack of gravity lowered articles, an upper escapement mechanism engageable with opposed edge portions of and supporting the stack and releasing the articles one at a time, a lower escapement mechanism spaced below the stack containing portion of the magazine for catching each article dropped by said upper mechanism and simultaneously releasing the article previously dropped by said upper mechanism, said upper and lower mechanisms having rockable actuators, connecting means between said actuators insuring simultaneous movement thereof, and operating means for one of said actuators.

2. A. vending machine. comprising a magazine for a stack of gravity lgwered articles, normally projected fingers at opposite sides of said magazine to support the stack, normally retracted fingers spaced slightly above said projected fingers to support the remainder of the articles when the bottom article is released, a pair of rockable actuators at the sides of said magazine connected with said upper and lower fingers for oppositely moving them, additional oppositely movable fingers below the aforesaid fingers for simultaneously receiving an article therefrom and releasing a previously received article, a roekable actuator for said additional fingers, and operating means for said actuators including crank arms on the three actuators and linkage connecting said arms to insure simultaneous movement of the actuators. I

3. A vending machine comprising a housing, a vertical magazine arranged in the housing and spaced from certain walls of the latter and having a plurality of opposed openings in two walls, a pair of parallel rock shafts in the space between the magazine and housing, longitudinally spaced crank arms on said shafts, upper and lower sets of fingers carried by the crank arms, and a stack of article-supporting plates in said magazine, said sets of fingers being movable through the openings and alternately supporting the stack and simultaneously releasing singly the plates at the bottom of the stack.

4. A vending machine comprising a housing, a vertical magazine arranged in the housing and spaced from certain walls of the latter and havin a plurality of opposed openings in two walls, having additional openings below those aforementioned, a horizontal shaft opposite each set of openings in the space between the magazine and housing, crank arms spaced along the shaft, upper and lower sets of fingers on the crank arms movable through said openings, connection between said shafts to permit uniform rocking of the crank arms, a stack of gravity-lowered article-supporting plates in said magazine, certain of said fingers being movable through the opposed openings to support the stack thereabove and singly release the plates from the bottom of the stack, the other fingers being movable through the lower openings to catch the plate being dropped and simultaneously release the plate previously dropped.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

GEORGE N. POLING. HARRY L. DILLON.

one of said two walls 

